Getting a second credit card without good credit can be difficult, since your credit score rating plays such an integral role in the ultimate decision on whether or not to grant you a credit card. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can give you a better chance at securing another piece of plastic for your wallet.
Credit is a tricky thing, and much is made of the big brand name credit card conglomerates. The better bet when you are saddled without good credit is to find a floundering credit card company, or to attack a major retail chain that will be willing to take the risk on your behalf. Getting credit without good credit needs you to be resourceful, and to find that second credit card wherever possible, so that you may attempt to ratify your credit score rating.
A great place to get a second credit card is a major retail chain, so that should be the first place you try. Major retail chains are more than willing to allow you to have a credit card with them, since their interest rates are astronomical, and your poor credit means that there is a great chance that you will continue with your poor spending habits, and you will spend far more money than fathomable inside their walls.
Begin by trying at a retail store that you rarely attend. This can make it easier to not use the credit card after you receive it. The best idea is to get the credit card, make a few small purchases, and then make a timely payment in full, which will endear you in the eyes of the credit bureau. The key is to make sure the second credit card is not from a place where you will be too tempted to keep on using it, or else your credit score will become severely compromised again.
You may also wish to take out a loan (you may need a co-signer), but make sure that it is a loan that you can and will pay off quickly and efficiently. With a loan, you will see your credit score rise as you make the proper payments, and in due time, your credit score will begin to repair itself. The loan does not have to be for very much money, but the key is to pay it off in a timely fashion.
Prepaid credit cards can sometimes be a good way to obtain a second credit card, although some of them are not seen in the best possible light. If the prepaid card does help you with your credit score rating, then it is certainly a viable option for a second credit card when you are shackled without good credit.
As long as you are beginning to learn some lessons from your past credit mistakes, you will be able to repair your credit score in due time, and return your borrowing status to a higher level in the eyes of credit card companies and the credit bureau. Remember to always spend wisely, and live within your means.